Strangler's Wood
Strangler's Woods is the second episode of the second series of the popular British crime drama Midsomer Murders and was originally aired 3rd February 1999. Synopsis Barnaby is hoping for some father-daughter bonding with Cully while Joyce is away nursing her sick mother. However his hopes soon fade when a naked woman is discovered strangled by a tie round her neck in woodland, where three women were murdered in the same fashion nine years before. Barnaby, with the help of Sergeant Troy, has to decide whether it's the same murderer back with a vengeance or if someone else is pulling their own evil strings Plot Carla Constanza, a very attractive Brazilian model and the advertising face for Monarch Tobacco, is found strangled with a necktie in Ravens Wood. The case is reminiscent of three similar murders that occurred nine years before. A German backpacker, an au pair and a hotel maid were raped and strangled in the wood, which was subsequently referred to by the locals as Strangler's Wood. The only difference with this case is that Carla wasn't raped. The evidence points to John Merrill, the Marketing Director for Monarch Tobacco. His expensive watch is found at the scenes and there is physical evidence his car was there as well. For DCI Barnaby however, it all seems all too easy, particularly since the original murders were never solved and the now retired policeman in that case, George Meakham, still seems obsessed at finding a result. When a second person is murdered, Barnaby finally starts to make sense of it all. Cast *John Nettles as DCI Tom Barnaby *Daniel Casey as Sgt. Gavin Troy *Jane Wymark as Joyce Barnaby *Laura Howard as Cully Barnaby *Peter Eyre as Leonard Pike *Kathleen Byron as Dorothea Pike *Frank Windsor as George Meakham *Anne Stallybrass as Emily Meakham *Trudie Styler as Liz Frances *Jeremy Clyde as Bill Mitchell *Phyllis Logan as Kate Merrill *Nicholas Farrell as John Merrill (as Nick Farrell) *Tom Eilenberg as David Merrill *Debbie Chazen as Anna Santarosa *Betty Romani as Carla Constanza (as Betti Romani) *Toby Jones as Dr. Dan Peterson *Cyril Shaps as Sebastian Renwick *Katy Brittain as Gloria Bradley *Neil Conrich as Police Constable Angel *Frank Carson as Nick (as Frankie Carson) *Anthony Howes as Milkman *Elizabeth Tyrrell as Ticket Seller *Tara Hugo as Ad Woman *George Lane Cooper as Brazilian Bandit *Rebecca Charles as Path Lab Assistant Galleries Body Count Eva-joan-judith.jpg|Eva Hoffman, Joan Chaplin and Judith Albiston (not necessarily in that order) Stripped, raped and strangled with a necktie in Strangler's Wood 9 years prior to the events of the episode. Carla-constanza.jpg|Carla Constanza Strangled with a necktie, stripped and left in Strangler's Wood. Dr-aycott.jpg|Dr. Ian Aycott Knocked unconscious and then burned after his clinic was set on fire. Anna-santarosa.jpg|Anna Santarosa Hit by vehicle and then injected with a fatal dose of liquid nicotine. Leonard-pike.jpg|Leonard Pike Stabbed repeatedly in shower with a knife. Supporting Cast John-merrill.jpg|John Merrill Kate-merrill.jpg|Kate Merrill David-merrill.jpg|David Merrill Bill-mitchell.jpg|Bill Mitchell George-meakham.jpg|George Meakham Liz-frances.jpg|Liz Frances Dorothea-pike.jpg|Dorothea Pike Emily-meakham.jpg|Emily Meakham Gloria-bradley.jpg|Gloria Bradley Sebastian-renwick.jpg|Sebastian Renwick Kate-and-liz.jpg|Kate Merril and Liz Francis from Strangler's Wood Video Quotes Notes *First appearance of Dr. Dan Peterson. The following actors and actresses who appeared in this episode have appeared in subsequent episodes *Katy Brittain - The House in the Woods *Rebecca Charles - Hidden Depths *Debbie Chazen - Midsomer Life *Neil Conrich - The Killings at Badger's Drift, Written in Blood, Death of a Hollow Man, Death's Shadow, Beyond the Grave and Birds of Prey *Peter Eyre - Picture of Innocence *Nicholas Farrell - Drawing Dead *Toby Jones - Dead Man's Eleven, Death of a Stranger, and Judgement Day *Cyril Shaps - Blue Herrings *Elizabeth Tyrrell - Death of a Hollow Man Category:Series Two episodes